Former defense ministry spokesperson Boo Seung Chan of the Democratic Party of Korea (Gyeonggi Yongin-byeong) highlighted that major U.S. government agencies—such as the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the CIA, NASA, the CDC, the State Department’s Consular Affairs Division, and the Library of Congress—along with maps from international organizations like the United Nations, have labeled the East Sea exclusively as the Sea of Japan. He called for a governmental response to address and correct this issue.
According to Boo, the map on the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s website only designates the East Sea as the Sea of Japan.
Furthermore, among the 38 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 13 countries, including Greece, Sweden, Ireland, Finland, and Hungary, exclusively label the East Sea as the Sea of Japan in their textbooks in addition to Japan. Colombia is the only country where the East Sea is labeled exclusively.
The United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany are among the 15 countries that use both the East Sea and the Sea of Japan together. Meanwhile, seven countries, including New Zealand, Denmark, and Switzerland, do not label the East Sea at all, while both Sea of Japan and East Sea textbooks exist in Mexico and Chile.
In response, Boo Seung Chan noted that “the OECD is an international organization with significant representation from Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific.” He expressed concern that the predominance of textbooks labeling it as the Sea of Japan could sway perceptions and influence other countries.
He noted, “The overwhelming number of textbooks in OECD countries labeling it as the Sea of Japan suggests that this designation is becoming standardized. Government agencies should actively engage in requesting corrective measures from each country.”
Regarding the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command website’s exclusive use of the Sea of Japan label, Boo stated, “Our government and the Ministry of National Defense must request corrections from the command.”
